Kites and Heartstrings
by happilyinsane13
Summary: Severus and Lily discuss the joy of kites. Years later at Lily's wedding, she realizes the significance of it all.


Lily and Severus sat by the lake one crisp autumn day, studying charms and watching as the giant squid played with a kite some second years had lost control of. As the great tentacles made the Chinese Fireball dragon kite do a little dance in the sky, Lily grinned.

Severus, always anxious to know what made her smile promptly asked her, "What is it, Lily?"

"Don't you just love the way a kite moves, Severus?" she asked, her eyes aglow. "I mean, maybe its just the squid doing it and all, but the way it glides through the air, without the help of magic or anything… I think its brilliant."

Severus studied the kite for a moment, a little confused. Tilting his head, his long black hair falling into his face a bit, he tried to comprehend Lily's explanation.

"But there is magic," Severus pointed out. "It glitters and automatically blows fire!"

Lily let out a tinkling laugh, and Severus's face went pink.

"I mean how it flies without magic," Lily explained. "Only air propels it. If I could see it all the time, I'd love it."

Severus watched her brilliant green eyes follow the dancing kite, and gazed up at it as well. He took the time to appreciate the beauty of whatever Lily finds beautiful.

"Can you believe it?" Lily exclaimed as she walked off the dance floor, flushed with excitement. "I'm married."

Remus and Sirius laughed, taking joy in Lily's wonder and joy at being a newly wed.

"Well, Mrs. Potter," Sirius sniggered. "Don't jinx yourself. I think James' mom might be having second thoughts!"

He pointed to the dance floor where James and his mother danced, his mother practically weeping into his soldier. James looked pained, patting her back and trying to soothe her.

"So while he's doing that," Remus said with a little wink. "How about we open some wedding presents, eh?"

"Oh I couldn't possibly!" Lily gasped. "Not without James, that'd be horrible."

"Oh come on, Lily," Sirius said, a mischeivious twinkle in his eyes. "Where's your sense of fun? Don't go back to being that stuffy Head Girl."

Lily huffed. "I wouldn't have to be if you lot weren't such rule breakers."

"Hey, you came to peace with it, since your little Remus was in on it all," Sirius shot back.

Remus held up his hands in defense.

"Leave me out of this Padfoot, I get enough lip from James just because I was friends with Lily. Remember when he thought I fancied her? Not that you aren't beautiful Lily," he said quickly, as she narrowed her eyes. "But the ruddy bloke wanted to kill me."

"Anyways," Sirius continued. "You can just open the one's that are addressed to you. How does that sound?"

Lily wavered but finally gave in.

"Alright, guess it couldn't hurt," she said. Making there way over to the pile of presents covering the large, white clothed table Lily asked, "Where's Peter?"

"In the loo I believe," Remus replied. "You know how he is with alcohol, can't stand much of the stuff."

The trio finally reached the presents and like a little girl at Christmas Lily started sifting through them to find her presents. In the end she selected three of them. The first one she opened was wrapped in the extravagant red and gold colors of Gryffindor, and as she ripped it open she gasped at the sight.

"Oh it's wonderful!"

They were little miniatures, carved from wood and delicately painted with great attention to detail. There was a stag, a black dog, a wold, rat, and a doe. The figurines all moved and pranced around within the box, playing with each other.

Sirius beamed.

"I thought you'd like it, took awhile to find a magic carpenter, they a rare sight in the city these days."

"Thank you Sirius!" Lily said, pulling Sirius towards her in a hug.

"Mine next." Remus pointed out another box, this time wrapped in pink and cream.

Lily hastily unwrapped it to reveal a Muggle electric mixer.

"Thank you Remus!" she exclaimed. "Forever the practical one!"

She embraced him. Sirius looked befuddled. "What's that?"

"It's a Muggle invention to mix things for baking and cooking," Remus explained.

"But why would you want one if you can use magic?" Sirius asked, forever confused in the ways of Muggles.

"Because I want to feel a connection with where I came from," Lily said. "Plus, it's easier on my parents when they come to dinner."

Finally she came to the last one, a small box wrapped in white, and tied with a blue ribbon. Lily opened it and when she took out the contents she fell completely still and silent.

It was a pendant, with an orb no larger than the size of a walnut. Inside the pendant was a Chinese Fireball, but in the distinct shape of a kite. It flew around in the ball as if blown by the wind, glittering and swaying in the breeze that only existed within the glass sphere.

"It's really beautiful Lily," Remus said. "It must be powerful- what's wrong?"

Lily's magnificent green eyes had filled with tears, and she whipped her head around the venue, looking for someone. The one person who could've done this…

There was a breeze, and the outside venue was suddenly chilled slightly with nostalgic autumn air. Suddenly she saw movement behind the red, yellow, and gold foliage. A long nose, pale face, and dark eyes she used to look into as she told him all of her secrets.

It was only him and her as they stared at each other for a moment. Lily still could not forgive him for what he had said in their fifth year, for picking the side he had chosen. In her heart however, she still only had one, true, best friend. So, with him staring at her, she put on the pendant and held it close to her heart.

A moment later and the leaves rustled and he was gone. Nothing but tears and the little dragon kite as evidence that anything had existed between thim.


End file.
